Wheeler optimistic NASCAR owners alliance will address cost issues

There has been no additional information forthcoming from the newly formed alliance of nine of the largest teams in NASCAR about its plans beyond the announcement last week that they planned to explore common interests and collaborate on initiatives to promote the sport. While NASCAR – traditionally resistant to any efforts to reduce its control – had a mild reaction to the alliance's announcement, observers have continued to speculate on what it might mean, including H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, the former president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway and long considered one of the ablest promoters in the sport.

"The announcement by the major car owners' to form an alliance could have far reaching effects on stock car racing," said Wheeler (LEFT), who now heads a consulting management firm focused on short-track racing, wrote on his Facebook page. "Not since 1969 when the Professional Drivers Association was formed which led to a boycott of the first race at Talladega has a group been formed within NASCAR to represent drivers or car owners.

"This group – which includes the most powerful car owners and includes Rick Hendrick, Joe Gibbs, Richard Childress and the rest of the major owners – could become extremely powerful and a force to be reckoned with. Why a move like this now? I suspect it is all about money and a more powerful voice within the sport. When Rick Hendrick brings up an issue that is one thing but when he does with, say, Joe Gibbs, Childress and other powerful car owners by his side then that creates a formidable reason that could result in major changes within the sport."

Wheeler made clear his view that costs involved in top-level stock car racing have gotten out of hand and need to be reined in.

"The money issue is something to look at," he said. "Costs have soared for the team with the addition of all types of engineers because of the technical sophistication of suspensions, engines, aerodynamics, etc. Cars are going so fast now the drivers are barely able to hold on to them on the mile-and-a-half and two-mile tracks. And when you go fast it costs a lot of money.

"But it doesn't have to be that way. You could literally cut 50 percent of the cost of the car out by mandating cheaper components. Shocks now cost $5000 apiece. The Monroe shocks that Bill Elliot first ran 200mph at Talladega is still around, except you can buy it now for $65 instead of $85 and you eliminate the shock engineer.

"There are so many other things that can be done to reduce costs and at the same time make the racing better. With the extremely added expense car owners have today, coupled with demolishing three or four cars per season, most of them cannot reduce the whopping' cost of $300,000 or more per race. So many have to have three sponsors, which confuses the public at race time because their favorite driver has a different color scheme almost ever week.

"So you're a car owner of first rank. You have to pay your big-time driver a salary of as high as $3-5 million – yep, there are a couple higher; 30-40 assorted craftsmen and then a super-jock pit crew on race day. Transport the truck; fly everyone out to California and you suddenly realize the expense. Oh yes, you are saying where are the engineers. They are coming about five strong!

"Where does the income come from? Sponsors and prize money. So, you need a $8-10 million dollar sponsor to just break even. So, the prize money is where your profit is but your driver gets 40-50% of that! So, you hope at the end of the year the point monies will help but when you count your profits it is tough to make any.

"So you need more money and the easiest thing to tap is the purse with the tracks getting all that new and vastly increased TV revenue. NASCAR pushes the tracks for purse increases but it is a hard fight as tracks are seeing terrible revenue losses because of the vast empty seats, like we saw in Kentucky recently."

While some immediately leapt on the dangers of developing a rift between car owners and management like the one that grew between CART and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway over the stewardship of Indy car racing, Wheeler seemed confident NASCAR's owners alliance would be a positive for all concerned.

"This is a milestone move...maybe potentially one that could change the face of racing as we know it. Hopefully it will be for the better," he said. "One great thing the sport has going for it is that we have an outstanding group of car owners; highly competent men who are dedicated to the sport but as a group could fight for and mandate big changes."